Public servants have benefitted from consecutive salary increases over the past three years – Min. Singh

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh says the government takes a holistic approach to enhancing the lives of Guyanese, which involves consecutive salary increases and other financial support.

The government on Friday last announced another 6.5 per cent across-the-board retroactive salary increase for public servants, teachers, members of the disciplined services, constitutional office holders, as well as government pensioners this year.

During a live broadcast Saturday evening on the National Communications Network (NCN), Minister Singh emphasised that the more impactful approach involves improvements and upgrades to essential services.

He stated that persons should evaluate the numerous policies and plans the administration has subsequently put into place, as well as those resuscitated when the PPP/C returned to office in 2020.

Some of those measures include the reviving of the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant for school children, pensioners’ water subsidy, the deduction of taxes on various materials, and the one-month tax-free bonus for disciplined services.

“When you speak about disposable income you have to speak first of all about adjustment to salaries…We have also adjusted upwards a number of specific categories of public sector employees. Some as high as 50, 60 and 70 per cent. We have recently announced the cash grant of $25,000 to every single public servant,” Minister Singh underscored.

The implementation of these measures has notably enhanced overall well-being, encompassing initiatives such as the housing project.

Further, the minister highlighted that since assuming office, the PPP/C Administration has allocated house lots to nearly 30,000 individuals, predominantly benefitting public servants.

He alluded to the reduced interest rates at various commercial banks to help persons build their houses at affordable costs.

“We take a holistic and comprehensive view of well-being. We look at the things everybody wants. They want to earn a better income of course. And so, our aspiration is to make sure that people are able to earn a better income over time.

“But people also want other things, other aspects of well-being. Like being able to live in a community that has decent roads, being able to access good quality healthcare, having your elderly parents be able to access a decent pension,” the senior minister explained.